Socially
Responsible Investing
Many people will sigh cynically over the fact
that the only things that corporations will
listen to is money, but what if this could be
used to your advantage? One thing that
businesses will invariably listen to is their
investors, and you will find that their
investors start demanding new and greener
methods of production and manufacturing that
changes will happen. This is where green and
social responsible investing come in, and though
it may surprise you, this is not a new
phenomenon at all!
One early example of socially responsible
investing can be found with the Quakers during
the 1700s, when they refused to frequent or
endorse businesses that had anything to do with
the slave trade. This is a form of boycott, and
as can be seen with other social boycotts, it
definitely got the message across. Looking back
more recently, another example of socially
responsible investing occurred in the 1970s,
when Dow Jones, which made napalm for use during
the Vietnam War was protested, and again when
American investors withdrew from companies who
were, openly or silently supporting Apartheid.
For a long time, socially responsible investing
was thought of as a popular trend and not one
that was very credible in the mainstream
marketing environment. At the time, companies
who took a real interest in the environment were
considered too risky or simply not big enough to
interest serious investors, but this perception
is one that is changing and fast. Green
investing broke into the mainstream world just a
few decades ago, and as the world continues to
move forward, this trend is only increasing.
If you are in a position to invest money, you'll
find that you can find screened lists of
companies that are considered socially
responsible. When looking at such lists, make
sure that you ask what criteria were used that
allowed these companies on the list and kept
other companies off. In addition to this, you'll
find that some companies have a lower
profitability than others but offer a great deal
in the way results with high potential, like
research towards more sustainable fuel sources.
When you are considering socially responsible
investing, you'll find that there is a great
deal out there. Make sure that your money goes
towards a world that you are interested in
living in! Related Articles:
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